Questions raised by Diana Katharina. Answered by: Andra Bireescu, Clara Romana and Georgia Ștefan
1. Would you make improvements to a robotic version of yourself? If yes, why? If not, why not?
Andra: Yes. I would like to morally augment my robotic copy, so that I am no longer afraid of hurting others with my choices. “I would need my copy as a counsellor.”
Clara: No, because I can make improvements to myself.
Georgea: If I could have a copy I would make improvements, because a robot is built on the idea of being perfect, not making any mistakes, so I would integrate perfectly into the sea of robots, and no one will know who I really am.
2. “Humanoids can be good as long as they look like us”?
Andra: Humanoids do not have to look like humans to be good, because HUMAN ≠ GOOD.
Clara: Instinctively, we feel threatened by any entity that does not look like a human, but I think we will get used to going beyond the survival instincts and accepting robots in any form if they have a utility.
Georgea: They can be good if they have a similar appearance to ours, because this way people could feel more comfortable around them, and the fear of the unknown would disappear.
3. Define the feeling of alienation.
Andra: Alienation= alteration of consciousness
Clara: Alienation feels like being alone in a huge field and seeing a flock of sheep and a shepherd in the distance, while hearing a dog bark that seems to come from the opposite direction.
Georgea: Alienation is the feeling you have when you feel foreign and strange to something. In a world full of humanoids, I would feel alienated from my own human nature.
4. Fill in the sentence: My copy is still me, but ….
Andra: My copy is still me, but I do not know who I am, so the initial premise could be wrong.
Clara: My copy is still me, but without conscience and parasitic thoughts.
Georgea: My copy is still me, but it seems like something is missing, I look at it and do not understand what makes me unique and I lose myself in the crowd of humanoids.
5. Why does the Thomas Melle robot wear a wedding ring?
Andra: Traditional family! Is THE MAN not allowed to be married just because he is a robot?
Clara: To take on the responsibility of the humans of being married.
Georgea: To symbolize the union between humans and humanoids.
6. Do we applaud a robot at the end of the show or not? If yes, what or whom do we applaud?
Andra: Some would call it a mechanical gesture. Oh, but it's not like that at all. We applaud to congratulate the idea and all the people behind a show. We do not applaud a robot! I repeat. We do not have to applaud a robot, if we do not feel we want to.
Clara: We do not applaud the robot; we applaud the technical team if it comes on the stage.
Georgea: The robot has performed so well that people are starting to associate it with a real person, an actor who played the most important role of his career.
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“Ph[r]ases”- Creative Formulas is a programme conceived by Diana Katharina and Daniela Șilindean together with the team of the German State Theatre Timișoara, dedicated to the theatre chronicle within the Eurothalia 2023 European Theatre Festival, held between 20-30 September 2023, financed by the National Cultural Program Timișoara - European Capital of Culture in 2023.
